Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Paul’s Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy “la dolce vita.”
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Monday, April 7, 2014

Noble Seghieri family traced to 1600s, split from my line around 1500

Saturday, April 5Thanks to Doctor Sergio Nelli, the question about where the noble branch of the
Seghieri family splits off the family tree from us plain and simple Seghieris
has been resolved—though questions about their family tree still
remain. Elena and I met with Dott. Nelli one more time this afternoon to
discuss this issue.

Dott. Nelli hands Elena my flash drive, which he has loaded
with historical references to Seghieris from his files--
some light reading to keep me busy in my spare time.

Robieri Seghieri, born around 1444, had three sons: Mariano, Leonardo and
Simone. The former is the ancestor of all the Seghieris now living on Via
Mattonaia, including me and my Gig Harbor cousins. Leonardo, nicknamed Narduccio,
is the ancestor of the late Mario Seghieri, a well-known Montecarlo historian
who was a colleague and friend of Dott. Nelli—not the same Mario who lives on
Via Mattonaia. Simone, with the dubious nickname Molester, was the head of the
noble and wealthy line, though it wasn’t until his great grandson that the
noble title began to be used.Molester’s son was Rubieri or Rubiero, and he had a son Simone, who apparently
married a wealthy heiress of Pisa with the surname Bizzarri, because one of their
sons took the name Robieri Seghieri Bizzarri. This Robieri, born around 1635, was
the first of many in the family to become a
Cavaliero di Santo Stefano, founded by Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1561 to
protect ships against Saracen piracy in the Mediterranean. In order to become a
knight, Robieri had to live in Pisa, but he also had to be a property owner, so
he maintained his holdings in Altopascio, Montecarlo and San Salvatore. While
Robieri is not in my family line, he must have maintained close contact with my
ancestors, because I have found a contract between his heirs and Giuseppe
Seghieri, the grandfather of Torello Seghieri, Anita’s father. The contract
allows Giuseppe and his brother Giuliano to farm the Seghieri Bizzarri land and
use and maintain their buildings, in return for cash and specified amounts of
wine, oil and other items. Among other things, my ancestors had to provide the
Seghieri Bizzarri family two hens at Carnevale
and two capons at Christmas.This wealthy branch of the family gathered many honors and produced numerous
knights, lawyers, doctors, professors, mayors, priests, bishops, and
nuns—including the descendants who financed construction of an altar that bears
the family coat of arms in the Montecarlo church of San’Andrea. Leopoldo
Seghieri, a doctor, volunteered his services in the army of King Vittorio
Emmanuele in 1860 during the war to unite Italy. The order of Saint Stefano was
abolished in 1859, and since the Seghieri Bizzarri heirs had been marrying
commoners, they dropped the second part of their name.I have tried to construct a Seghieri Bizzarri family tree from early
information given me by Dott. Nelli, along with an online article about noble
families of Italy and some state of the family documents from the late 1800s I
received in Montecarlo. Every time I try, it becomes an exercise in frustration
and futility, because so few of the names are tied to dates of birth, and the
same names are repeated so many times. Imagine how confusing it would be if one’s
brothers and every male cousin all gave their children the same names. Many of
the early names that I have obtained came not from birth or baptism records but from legal
contracts or acts. It is hard to judge when a person was born or what generation
he was in from these records. I still maintain the hope that an accurate tree may be
possible if I can find just a little more information or I discover some
details I had previously overlooked or misunderstood.

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About Me

First off, before you hassle me about our title, Lucy thought of it. Yes, I know some people may think broad is derogatory, but the etymology is uncertain and she doesn’t find it offensive, and it made me laugh. We have been married since 1974 and are empty-nesters now, which allows me to bring my submerged Italophilia into the open. We first came to live in Italy from February-April in 2011 and have returned during the same months every year. From 2011-2015, we lived in San Salvatore, at the foot of the hilltop city Montecarlo, where my paternal grandparents were born, raised and, in 1908, married. In late 2015, we bought a home in Montecarlo. We come for a variety of purposes: We want to re-establish contact with distant cousins in both Nonno’s and Nonna’s families, we want to learn the language and see what it is like to live as Italians in modern Italy, we like to travel and experience different cultures. Even if we aren’t successful at achieving these purposes, we love Italy and enjoy every moment here, so there is no chance we will be disappointed. I am grateful to God for giving me a wife who is beautiful, clever, adaptable and willing to jump into my dreams wholeheartedly.